Posthumous lifetime award for Harris

He didn’t win the best actor prize for which he’d been nominated, but the late Richard Harris was honored nonetheless at the fifth annual British Independent Film Awards.

The award for his lifetime contribution to the cinema was accepted in London on Wednesday night by Harris’ three sons: Damian, Jared and Jamie. Harris, whose credits ranged from “This Sporting Life” and “A Man Called Horse” to the first two “Harry Potter” movies, died last Friday at a London hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s disease.

A posthumous tribute also was paid to former Beatle George Harrison, who died last year at 58, for his work as an independent movie producer.

Harris, 72 when he died, had been nominated for a best actor prize for “My Kingdom” but lost to James Nesbitt, who won for “Bloody Sunday.” Ken Loach’s “Sweet Sixteen” was named best British independent film, while the movie’s young star, Martin Compston, was named best newcomer. Samantha Morton was named best actress for her role in “Morvern Callar.”